₦airaland Forum

Ahead France 2019: Fierce test for Super Falcons in Spain

After pounding a first division club from Iceland (UMF Selfoss) 6-1 on Friday, Nigeria’s Super Falcons face a more worthwhile test when they square up to their Canadian counterparts in a friendly match in the city of Murcia, Spain on Monday.

Following earlier tests against teams like China and Belgium in the run –up to the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France this summer, the nine –time African champions will be able to truly measure their progress against the Canadians, who have promised to field their full strength on the day.

Both countries began talks for this encounter during the draw ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in France in December last year. On Monday, coaches Thomas Dennerby and Kenneth Heiner-Møller will send out their strongest squads on the turf of Pinatar Stadium for a real test, two months before the big showpiece begins in France.

Kenneth Heiner-Møller has made it known he values the encounter with the African champions, as it would enable him to anticipate what to expect against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, whom Canada tackle in their first match of the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Montpellier on 10th June. The North Americans will also play New Zealand and The Netherlands in the group phase.

On their part, the Falcons will open their campaign against Norway in Reims two days earlier. Nigeria will also confront Korea Republic in Grenoble on 12th June, before taking on tournament hosts France in Rennes on 17th June.

Nigeria and Canada have locked horns twice at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. On 8th June 1995, at the Olympic Stadium in Helsingborg, Norway, the Super Falcons came from behind to tie their group phase encounter 3-3. On 5thJuly 2011, at the Rudolf-Harbig Stadion in Dresden, Germany, Nigeria pipped Canada 1-0 in another group phase encounter.

The Super Falcons are scheduled to participate in the WAFU B Women’s Tournament in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 8th-18th May, before setting up camp at the Avita Resort in Bad Tatzmannsdorf in Austria, from where will fly to France for the World Cup.

The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals hold 7th June – 7th July 2019.

Ishilove:
So who are women fixing the lashes for? Surely there are men who like the eyelashes thingy because if all men were unequivocal in their denouncement of fake lashes, women would have stopped fixing them.

It is still the same men that will go for a woman with a made-up face rather than an all natural woman.

Be sincere, if I were to post a no make up picture side by side with a makeup picture, 95% of the men here will drool over the makeup pics.

We live in a society where double standards is the other of the day.

naptu2:
The craziest and most nerve-racking matches were


Nigeria vs Algeria in the semi-final of Maroc '88 (the one with the undending penalties).


The Miracle of Damman (the quarter-final of Saudi '89).

Nigeria vs Ivory Coast (the semi-final of Tunisia '94).

Nigeria vs Brazil at Atlanta '96.



I lost my voice and I could have sworn that my heart stopped beating during this game.

This was a game between the two most star studded teams in the competition. They were probably the two best teams in Africa at that time.

The 1994 Super Eagles team needs no introduction, so I'll tell you about the Ivorians.

They had the African legend, Abdoulaye Traore as their captain. They also had one of the best goalkeepers in Alaine Gouamene (who we renamed Allan Quartermaine).

They had Joel Tiehi and the Atletico Madrid star, Serge Alaine Maguy. They also had a young Ahmed Ouattara on the bench.


But I had never heard of Michel Basole before and he was the person that almost killed me on that day. He scored both of Ivory Coast's goals.

Thank heavenly God for Ben Iroha. Iroha injured both Michel Basole and Abdoulaye Traore (they both had to be substituted) and he only got a yellow card.

Not only did Iroha take out both of the Ivorian's danger men, but he also combined beautifully to score the first goal (yes, a defender scored our equaliser). Then Yekini scored the equaliser for us.

The rest of the game became a crazy battle between Yekini and Gouamene. Alaine Gouamene showed why he was one of the best goalkeepers in Africa at that time. There was nothing that Yekini did not do, but Gouamene was always in his way.

This led to that famous shot of Westerhof asking God, "Why?"


It was 2-2 at the end of extra time, so the game went to penalties. Westerhof said that he decided that Yekini must take the last penalty because he had the most missed chances.

Of course Yekini scored and took Nigeria to the final.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4q43juBbY

Ishilove:
Do you know what is going on behind that dazzling smile of his? A mid life crisis produces, among other things, a deep "...desire to achieve youthfulness or make drastic changes to one's current lifestyle."

Don't be fooled by appearances.